Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Jupiter Ascending Was Flashy But Not Memorable

As sci-fi movies go, Jupiter Ascending was pretty typical. Captivating plot twists and intriguing
storylines were sacrificed in favor of stupendous action sequences and
brilliant visual effects. The resulting
movie is a two hour burst of flashing lights and not a single memorable
line. That being said, the movie did
have a certain entertainment value and thus can’t be tossed away entirely.

The movie centers on Jupiter Jones (played by Mila
Kunis) who learns she is a genetic reincarnation of the powerful matriarch of
the Abrasax family who until her recent passing, owned the Earth and many other
planets. Now pursued by the wealthy
woman’s three children, Jupiter is assisted by Caine, an ex-soldier with a bone
to pick with the Abrasax children and their demented methods to achieve
immortality. If this all sounds loose,
that’s because it is. Small details like
Caine’s lost “wings” and his past mentor/friend Stinger (played by Sean Bean)
are glossed over so quick they feel like snippets thrown in to try and
establish more character depth. But the
film progresses from one thing to the next so quickly we never get the chance
to really develop any sort of attachment to ANY character. Even Jupiter’s backstory feels so rushed and
insignificant that it’s hard to sympathize with her plight in any way. While there are many grand declarations of
futuristic technologies and processes interspersed with brief explanations of the
history of the universe and the aliens Jupiter encounters, it is almost all
lost amongst the flashy miasma of the action sequences which tend to flow from
one to the next allowing for little time to understand what you’re witnessing. On top of that, little explanation is given
as to how these advanced human races have managed to maintain control over vast
quantities of our own solar system without ever being noticed. The only reason we are given is some sort of
Men in Black rip off where Caine tells Jupiter that they erase people’s
memories when they witness something they’re not supposed to. That’s pretty flimsy when you see the scale
of destruction left by many of the events in the movie.

While I totally appreciate a female lead in a genre
which predominately sees male protagonists, I feel that Mila Kunis was a poor
choice. She has reached a level of notoriety
that makes it hard for you to see her as this poor daughter of a Russian
immigrant who works as a cleaning lady.
She doesn’t fit that role and when combined with Channing Tatum who is
also a recognizable figure, the film lost much of its believability, something
that is CRUCIAL for a good sci-fi film.

Overall, I would have loved more backstory. The story of the alien “humans” who are
simply a more advanced version of our own species I found very intriguing and
in my opinion would have made a far more interesting story than the one we
got. In the end, the effects were
dazzling and the action sequences top notch (despite being a little too
chaotic). Fans of Divergent or Hunger Games
will probably love the movie. Fans of Cloud Atlas or Moon will not. You get my point.

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Larissa is the Teen Librarian at the DFL. She has a BA in English Lit from Smith College and an MS in Library and Information Science from Drexel University. She owns a production company with her boyfriend, and together they create film and print works. Larissa is a little obsessed with feminism, the moon, and pizza.